Blockchain Technology and the Law: Opportunities and Risks

Author

Muharem Kianieff 

ISBN: 9781032624785

Published: 2027 (2nd Edition)

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

Publisher: Informa Law from Routledge

Description

Blockchain Technology and the Law: Opportunities and Risks, now in its second edition, was one of the first texts to deliver a critical analysis of blockchain technology's legal and economic implications. It introduces unfamiliar readers to how the technology works and demonstrates how legal frameworks can govern it for successful deployment. This second edition greatly expands coverage with two new chapters on emerging applications of distributed ledger technology — including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), stablecoins, and proposals for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) — and examines how high-profile incidents in payments and securities (the DAO case, the Cicada case, Celsius and FTX) have driven regulators worldwide to enforce existing rules more vigorously and draft new ones. The book also addresses emerging privacy law issues tied to open banking proposals and 'big data'. Written for practicing lawyers, jurists and academics, it belongs on the shelves of law firm libraries, law faculties, business schools and universities.

Key Features

Fully revised second edition with two new chapters
Covers Non-Fungible Tokens, Stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
Analyzes major case studies: the DAO case, the Cicada case, Celsius and FTX
Comparative perspective across UK, Canada and US regulatory approaches
Written by a leading academic specializing in banking law and payment mechanisms

Coverage

Overview of blockchain and the trust problem
Blockchain-based transactions and smart contracts
Blockchain and consumer payment mechanisms
Blockchain governance and error correction
Privacy law implications of blockchain technology
Initial Coin Offerings and securities regulation in North America
Non-Fungible Tokens and Stablecoins
The emergence of Central Bank Digital Currencies
The future of blockchain regulation

About the Author

Muharem Kianieff is Full Professor of Law at the University of Windsor, Canada. He specializes in blockchain, financial technologies, payment mechanisms, consumer protection, financial reform and privacy. He is co-author, with Professor Leonard Rotman, of the 5th edition of Canadian Corporate Law: Cases, Notes and Materials (2024).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Overview of Blockchain and the Trust Problem
3. Introduction to Blockchain-Based Transactions and Smart Contracts
4. Blockchain and Consumer Payment Mechanisms
5. Blockchain Governance and Error Correction Issues
6. The Privacy Law Implications of Blockchain Technology
7. Blockchains, Initial Coin Offerings and the Challenges Facing Securities Regulators in North America
8. Non-Fungible Tokens and Stablecoins
9. The Emergence of Central Bank Digital Currencies
10. What Does the Future Hold for Blockchain?
11. Postscript: The State of Blockchain in the Mid-2020s

Why buy this book?

For law firms, banks, regulators and academic libraries, this is the most current single-volume reference connecting blockchain technology to the legal frameworks now governing it — including the 2025-2026 regulatory shifts around stablecoins and CBDCs (the US GENIUS Act, the EU's MiCA framework, and the US Congress's 2026 ban on a Federal Reserve CBDC through 2030) that are actively reshaping global payments law.

Keywords

blockchain law, cryptocurrency regulation, stablecoins, CBDC, smart contracts, banking law, fintech regulation, digital assets law

Target Audience

Practicing lawyers, banking and finance law academics, regulators, fintech compliance professionals, law school libraries

Genre

Technology, Education, Society & culture

Q&A

Where can I buy Blockchain Technology and the Law: Opportunities and Risks?
You can purchase it directly from CLNZ Books, a specialist academic and professional bookseller, with worldwide shipping included.

What does the second edition add?
Two new chapters covering Non-Fungible Tokens, stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies, plus analysis of recent enforcement cases including the DAO, Cicada, Celsius and FTX matters.

Who is the author?
Muharem Kianieff, Full Professor of Law at the University of Windsor, Canada, specializing in banking law and payment mechanisms.

Is this book relevant after the 2026 US CBDC ban?
Yes — the chapter on Central Bank Digital Currencies gives essential legal background for understanding the regulatory tradeoffs behind decisions like the US Congress's 2026 ban on a Federal Reserve CBDC through 2030.

Does the book cover stablecoin regulation?
Yes, Chapter 8 examines stablecoins in depth, directly relevant amid the rollout of frameworks such as the US GENIUS Act and the EU's MiCA regulation.

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